Standing on the edge of my mat, eyes closed, I take a deep breathe and begin to connect with my soul.

My spirit.

My inner being.

I have been practicing long enough, that I can maintain my balance without opening my eyes. With each slow breathe I feel blanketed in peace. My mind begins to calm. Thoughts begin to fade away.

I am HERE.

In THIS moment.

Just being.

Yoga is my heart. Every morning I rise and roll out my mat to practice this ancient form of exercise. Moving through the poses, I stay grounded and connected to the present moment. My mat is my sanctuary where nothing of the world can get to me. A place to let thoughts go. For that small amount in time, it’s just me and my mat.

Before I found yoga, I struggled to like like/accept myself. I always wanted to be something better (thinner). Numbers consumed me ~ I counted calories & macros, weighed myself every day, wrote down my measurements. I focused solely on these numbers and depending on what they were, it could either make or break my day. I focused on hard core workouts that burned tons of calories but that left me feeling, bleh!

I researched a lot on yoga because I felt like it was not ‘enough’ exercise for me. I was used to doing more HIIT training and yoga felt really slow. I read through articles and sought out yoga teachers to gain some knowledge. What I learned was that yoga was enough! Not only is it stretching your entire body but it also involves a ton of core work and body strength and depending on the type of yoga you do, you can still burn calories and get a great workout.

There are so many different types, that depending on how you feel that day, you have endless options. Some of the more popular styles include Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Bikram, Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga and Restorative.

Check out this article from The Daily Burn that explains what each type of yoga is:

http://www.dailyburn.com/life/fitness/yoga-for-beginners/kundalini-yin-bikram/

 

There is a form of yoga for everyone! You just need an open space, a mat (or even just your floor) and yourself. You don’t need to be super flexible or be able to master Crow pose or headstand right away. Like all things it takes practice. Each day you step onto your mat is a chance to grow. Both physically and spiritually.

If you already do yoga I’d love to hear what your favorite type is as well as what your favorite/most challenging poses are. Thanks!